And They Call It Puppy Love
by A.D. Williams
Summary: Ahh, to be in love. To huggle and cuddle and all that mushy stuff. Except for Saix, falling in love is equal to having a full-blown allergic reaction when he's around Xemnas. How can he tell him how he feels when he can barely remain in his prescence?


Maybe not the greatest of timing for a XemSai tribute, but it's an idea I've been having for the longest and I wanted to jot it down. Not to mention, I feel like it's been forever since I've posted something!

Though this isn't my full-blown comedic side here, there's still some OOC-ness within some of the characters. Hopefully it only adds to the story, not diminish it. Do know that Saix is going to get the blunt of the personality disorder, xD!

Anywho, I still hope you enjoy it. More fitting for Valentine's Day, but I'm not waitin' that long!

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And They Call It Puppy Love

They say love is blind and that you can't choose who you fall for. Yes, that may be true, but Saix never thought that of all people, he'd fall for his _boss._

Like many a movie or sappy romance novel, Saix fell in love instantly with Xemnas. It was perhaps during their third group meeting, before the Organization became full, as the man stood speaking on one of the tower platforms going on about the existence of Nobodies and Kingdom Hearts. But what really held his attention was that beautiful way the man lifted his arms up to the heavens, beckoning even the cosmos to rejoice in his future plans. That alluring voice that made Saix not even want to listen to the words themselves, but just the noise.

Without having ever been in love before, he knew that he'd fallen and he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

But was it even appropriate to tell your boss you liked them beyond the employee/employer relationship? For that matter, could Saix even be fired from his job? It wasn't like he'd put in an application and officially applied; although what Xemnas saw in him to make him second in command was still a mystery.

This had a benefit though! He was beside the Superior nearly all the time.

Yet it also had a bad side: He was beside the Superior nearly all the time. And when Saix was around Xemnas, well…he could be a little unrecognizable.

"Seven, since you're closest to the coffee machine, would you mind making some more for everyone?" Xemnas asked him in the kitchen.

Saix tried to respond, but his throat closed in tightly and became very dry. He took down the canister of coffee from a cabinet and began pouring some into a filter. Unfortunately, his hands began to shake at that time and the coffee ended up more on the counter than in the white paper holder.

"You know, you've seemed out of sorts here lately," Xemnas noted.

"Really?" Saix squeaked. "I-I never noticed!" He finished pouring the coffee grounds and put the filter into the holding cup, then tried to put the cup back into the machine. His hands became impossibly more unsteady and wouldn't slide into the spot.

Without saying a word, Xemnas reached over and steadied the hand, gently guiding it into the machine. Then with a small smile, the Superior pressed a button and the coffee began to brew. Still in silence, he walked out of the kitchen, leaving a stunned Saix behind.

Xigbar happened to be walking in while Xemnas was coming out and caught a glimpse of Saix's face. "Whoa! What'd he do, bitch-slap you?"

He was referring to the downcast expression on Seven's face. "Why on earth would he hit me?" he said, trying to wipe away his obvious infatuated gaze.

"I dunno. You had that abused dog look to you. Ya know, ears down, droopy eyes. Hell, if you had a tail, it'd probably be between your legs."

Actually, that _was _how Saix felt, but it was a look that begged approval, not forgiveness. "Quite the active imagination you have there, Two," he said derisively and also strolled out.

But the next day, it happened again. This time, Saix was in the midst of handing out the missions for the day. Everything was already written down on a clipboard that he'd prepared the night before. It'd always been a job he'd done alone, but today, Xemnas decided to join him in the Grey Room.

Saix tried to ignore him and pretend he wasn't breathing down his neck (literally!) as he read off the names. "D-Demyx…you're t-to go to Never-Never Land…"

"Yippee! Flying!" The musician cheered and gratefully took his assignment. It was one of the only worlds he'd go to without kicking and screaming first.

"Axel…You're going to…um, did you just sniff me?" Saix paused in his reading to abruptly turn to their leader.

"Yes, I did," Xemnas replied causally, as though this were nothing out of the ordinary. "Your hair smells like mountain blueberries, picked from the Greek Meteora mountains where the sages live. Why, my Nana used to take me there all the time as a child and we'd pick them in order to make pancakes and waffles and muffins and—"

Axel strode forward and quickly took his mission off the clipboard himself. Saix didn't seem interested in reading them out anymore and instead only stared at the other man as he droned on about all the foods someone could make with blueberries. Roxas walked up beside Axel and gave his stomach a quick nudge with his elbow. "Say…Saix has been acting kinda funny here lately. He's your friend, right? Do you know what's wrong with him?"

Axel cast a smirk back to his old friend, then gave one to the blonde. "Oh, I know _exactly _what's wrong with him, Roxy. If things go right, maybe you and I will be heading down the same path." He draped an arm around the boy and led him into a dark portal. The last thing heard before it closed was the boy's voice shouting "_What?_"

"Saix…you're still here listening to me?" Xemnas paused to ask. "Usually everyone falls asleep when I go on for that long. You should've stopped me!"

The last occupant of the room was Larxene and she scoffed, "You mean to tell me you _know _that you give long-ass speeches and yet you don't care? How…brilliant! I like your style!" She gave him a wink before slipping her own mission off the clipboard and leaving as well.

"I'm scared to know what that'll mean for the rest of the Organization," Xemnas mumbled to himself, then turned back to Saix. "So, how come you're unaffected by my lengthy talks?"

"I…" Saix tried to respond, but again his cursed throat locked up on him. Oh no. He knew what was coming next but was helpless to stop it. His face flushed, his head bowed, his body curled in on itself and next thing he knew, he was fumbling and fidgeting like a nervous schoolgirl.

Oh, it was humiliating! But every time he tried to raise his eyes up, they only briefly met the golden eyes of the Superiors' before falling back down again like a rock.

"Er, Seven…I'm giving you permission to speak," Xemnas clarified, as if the man didn't know. Then he realized his question was more rhetorical than anything else and brushed it off with a small laugh unbecoming of a Nobody. "Don't worry about it. I suppose I'm more surprised than anything at your sharp attention span. Then again, I didn't make you second in command for nothing." He gave Saix a proud nod and took his departure.

These sort of routines continued on for months. By then, everyone else in the Org had basically plucked off their own interests and now the castle looked like some sort of lovers retreat. Saix walked out into the living room one day to find Demyx and Xigbar making out. With a disgruntled sigh, he turned around and left. A week later, he saw Xigbar snogging with Xaldin in a quiet alcove. The Diviner gave another huff and stormed off. Then, only two days ago, Xigbar was flirting with Larxene. Whatever he said, she didn't take a liking to though and a slap rang through the air. The mark was later joined by another one, this time from Demyx once he found out about Xigbar's infidelities.

Saix was scared to ask about Axel and Roxas, although this was proceeded by Zexion possessively growling at all who even so much as glanced at Lexaeus. He didn't want to break it to the boy that _nobody _had any interest in the man but him.

But how had his own affections progressed? Terribly. The nervous spells had become worse and now, he ran out of the room if Xemnas entered! The others had noticed it too and he'd caught his name on their lips as they whispered to each other in the halls. Even after several Berserker spells, they still seemed undaunted by his threats and continued on as though he weren't standing _right there _and hearing them!

Then, one day, Xemnas made a request that Saix meet him up on the top balcony. Of course the proposal wasn't that simple; the Superior had used a Dusk to transfer the message. And as all in the castle knew, Dusks were basically good for nothing but mischief and mayhem.

The Dusk sent to Saix actually did go to his room, appearing with the letter in its fingerless hand.

"Yes? Is that for me?" Saix asked, looking up from his desk where he was preparing another assignment list.

The Dusk only stood there, silent.

"Are you going to gyrate in front of me all day or hand that to me? And for your information, that's completely unarousing."

The Dusk stopped swaying immediately. It narrowed its eyes at him, then sprang up from the floor and slipped into the air conditioning vent. "Hey! Get back here with my message!" He got up and tried to follow where the Dusk was going by the sound of the clanking in the walls. He figured he'd cut him off at the major vent that was above one of the linen closets but instead, a loud yelp was heard, then some scuffling.

From another vent, Xigbar and the Dusk came tumbling out, wrestling each other. Xigbar was trying to pin it on the ground to hold it still long enough to shoot it. "That'll teach you to intrude on my hiding spot!"

"You hide in the air vents? Dare I ask why?" Saix asked as he walked up.

"Heh, wouldn't you like to know!" the man grinned. He couldn't very well tell him it meant that he was the eyes and ears of the castle, although it wouldn't be too long before Seven figured that out himself anyways.

As they tussled, Saix simply reached down and took the letter. To think all of that was caused by him criticizing the creatures' flirtatious methods! He really didn't want to ponder on the idea of Dusks even possessing the desire to flirt; much too disturbing. Instead, he read the letter than Xemnas had sent him. It only contained one line, "Meet me on the top balcony at your earliest convenience."

Oh, how romantic! Saix girlishly pressed the letter to his chest in joy, treasuring the first piece of paper he'd received from Xemnas in his own script. He strode over to his desk drawer and put it on top of a huge stack of other papers written with the same handwriting (Never said it was the first paper he'd ever gotten with Xemnas' handwriting on it, just the first actually directed to him. He'd been collecting scraps from the man for forever!)

Dropping the mission assignment, he warped to the top balcony right then and there. The Superior was already waiting, sitting on the railing and looking up at the moon. The sky was overcast with wispy clouds that moved quickly in the wind. Once Xemnas noticed that Saix had arrived, he stood up and began walking toward him.

Oh no, he was on his way! Saix knew he had decided to meet him on his own volition but now he had to battle the old urge to make a break for it. By the time the man had reached him, he'd gotten his legs under control and had told them to stay firmly put. Unfortunately, it was the only thing he'd been able to get control of. The blood began rushing in his ears, his throat constricted, the ears flattened back and inevitably there he was, standing like the shy puppy he felt. He began to nervously pull on the silver chain attached to his jacket.

"Ah, good tidings, Saix," Xemnas greeted him amorously.

Saix could only nod.

"All is well, I hope?" the man pressed.

Saix tried to give a simple 'yes', his voice cracked, and he settled on another nod.

His leader stared at him with what Saix imagined to be a frown. He was displeased. He'd upset his master. Could One ever forgive Seven? He wouldn't do it again, whatever it was. He wouldn't be able to live with the idea of Xemnas being upset with him.

"Saix, would you please look at me?" he asked instead.

Saix froze. Now what to do? He couldn't look up at him. He was upset and angry. To meet those eyes would be a punishment far worse than death.

"Saix. Look at me." This time, it was a command.

In a pitiful attempt, Seven tried to raise his eyes up. They reached about shoulder-height before dropping again.

Xemnas reached out a hand and put it on Saix' own shoulder. "Saix. Please."

The Diviner's breath hitched. His body began to be wracked by tremors and he felt his throat begin to burn to add to the constriction. And…were his eyes prickling? For the first time in ages, he felt the beginning of tears. If he raised his head up now, they would surely fall.

This time, Xemnas put a hand under his chin and whispered in his ear. "Isa."

In the shock of his real name being spoken, Saix finally lifted his head. The eyes he met weren't angry; they were…understanding. Or maybe that was just his mind playing tricks on him? Maybe the man was feeling sorry for having allowed such an unworthy person become second in command. He should begin apologizing right now and hope that—

Lips. Lips were on him. Not his mouth, but the tip of his nose. After the quick peck, Xemnas gave him a smile warm enough to melt chocolate. "I find it hard to believe that I have this sort of effect on you. My, my, the fun I've had over the months!"

So…Xemnas knew of his affections? Finally, the constriction on his throat cleared and Saix blurted out "How long?"

"Since the day you wouldn't answer me as to why you actually withstood my rambles," the man replied, and effortlessly pulled Saix into a small hug. Saix felt his face growing impossibly brighter and clung to the fabric as he buried his face away in embarrassment.

"I knew no one in their right mind would want to listen to me and figured that you must actually want to hear me drone on." Saix' grip grew tighter as he felt the short laughter rumble in his chest.

"I don't mind," Saix mumbled into the fabric of the cloak.

Xemnas chuckled again. "That's because your mind isn't right. Then again…I do believe you're crazily in love with me." He pulled Saix away for a brief second to kiss him again, this time a soft press on his lips.

"We-we shouldn't be feeling this," Saix whispered back into the embrace. "You've said so yourself, that Nobodies don't have any feelings…"

"That's just what I tell the others to keep them on their toes. Reminds them of what they're working for here." Saix was beginning to enjoy the Superior's newfound humor. But all too soon, he stepped back, ending their contact. "At any time that you may need me Saix, you know where to find me," he said, opening a portal. The devilish glint in his eye hinted at a double meaning.

Saix stumbled his way back to his room, his mind in a new puddle of mush. As he passed the other couples of the castle, he for once didn't envy them. Whenever he was finally ready, he too would be with his special Somebody.

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I'm actually happy with how this turned out. A bit of fluff for ya, xD. Oh, points to who can name what popular rock band named a CD after the Greek mountains I mentioned here ^_^ I know half of you are just going to Google it though…oh well.

Reviews?


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